Creativity in Reading Instruction

Once students have learned to read, quantity of reading and deeper interpretation of texts become even more critical. In their podcast, Aerila et al. (2026), present a range of ideas for igniting creativity in reading instruction which their research has shown to be effective in achieving these two goals. They argue that if students enjoy reading and are engaged in the reading process, they are more likely to read.

Many reading tasks assigned in the classroom context result in students interpreting reading as ‘something done to you’ because:

• There is one compulsory text.
• There is one ‘correct’ interpretation.
• The content is seen mainly through the teacher’s eyes.
• The focus is on recall and reproduction.

In contrast, if you can make reading an ‘experience’ students are more likely to interpret reading as ‘something learners do’ because:

• The focus is on choice, curiosity and pleasure.
• Emotional responses, imagination and connections are encouraged (How did it make you feel? What did you imagine? What connections can you make to your own life?).
• Multiple interpretations are accepted.
• Reflection, wellbeing and agency are encouraged.

Creative Literacy

Aerila et al. define ‘Creative Literacy’ as ‘active meaning making’:

Read   ↔   Interpret   ↔   Create   ↔   Act

• Meaning is not simply retrieved – rather it is constructed, questioned, transformed and shared.
• It enables students to engage imaginatively, critically and collaboratively with texts, experiences and cultural meaning.

They identify five interconnected dimensions:

• Creative reading – imagine infer and interpret.
• Creative meaning making – connect text, self and world.
• Critical reflection – question assumptions and perspectives (Whose voice is heard?).
• Multimodal expression – communicate across words, images, sound and movement.
• Transformative action – turn insight into creation, participation or change (not just more creative activities, but more agentic literacy).

Aerila et al. argue that comprehension should be seen as the beginning, not the end point. They identify four phases that move students from understanding to creative action. In addition, each phase can send the reader back to the text with new questions:

• Descriptive – What happens? What does the text say?
• Personal – What does this evoke in me and my experiences?
• Critical – Whose voice, values or assumptions are present?
• Creative action – What can we make, change or do with this insight?

Using Creative Literacy Design to Overcome Reading Barriers

READING CHALLENGE	CREATIVE MOVE	POSSIBLE SHIFT
This text is not for me.	Choice & personal connections.	Relevance & belonging.
There is one right answer.	Dialogue and alternative perspectives.	Agency & critical thinking.
I understand – but I feel nothing.	Drama & sensory/emotional responses.	Empathy & memory.
Reading is solitary schoolwork.	Collaborative and multimodal creations.	Social engagement & motivation.

Questions to ask as a teacher;

• When can learners choose a text, a pathway or a mode?
• When can their interpretations become visible and valued?
• What can they create that requires returning to the text?

Examples of Creative Literacy:

• Book caterpillar challenge – as a book is read a copy or representation of the cover page is added to a growing ‘caterpillar’.
• Literacy courts.
• Open-ended debates.
• Dramatisation – acting, puppets, shadow theatre.
• Alternative endings.
• Pre-story – what happened before?
• Reader diaries – feelings, thoughts/reflections, solutions, similar experiences, etc.
• Letter writing to characters, author or another reader.
• Creating comic versions.
• Retelling story from a different character’s perspective.
• Creating video clips.
• Creating a related poem – theme, emotion, topic.
• Group discussions.
• Creating sound effects.
• Book club/tea party – give different students the opportunity to lead the discussion. It could be from an author perspective.
• Investigating the life of the author and other books written by the author.
• Pre-set questions that are general enough to be applied to a variety of texts – this enables students to choose their own book.
• Recreating the key elements of the story using only pictures.
• Creating a visual interpretation.
• Recording a podcast – retell, interview of a character or the author, interview of another reader’s thoughts.

Reference
Aerila, J., Kalnioa, S., Jurimae, M., & Margevia-Grinberga, I. (2026). Igniting Creativity in Reading Instruction. International Literacy Association Webinar.